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About Me

I am a below knee amputee. More importantly, I am also Mommy to two boys, a very active 10 year old (Robby) and an mischievous toddler (Timmy). I have learned that being a parent with a disability can create some unusual and sometimes humorous situations.
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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Candy Cane Cookies

A
few days ago, Scott and I were watching an episode on the Food Channel
which featured various Christmas cookies. During the program, Scott
casually remarked that he really missed his mom's candy cane cookies. My
little elf ears immediately perked up as I started planning a cookie
surprise.

His mom sent me the recipe for
the cookies several years ago, and I knew that this was a surprise I
could pull off. In preparation, Monday I searched through my cookbook to
find the recipe. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it. Apparently it was
someplace "safe." I began to dig through my combination Tupperware/
cookbook cabinet determined to locate the missing card. Nearly two hours
later the cabinet was clean and organized, I had two bulging trash bags
of plastic containers and lids without mates and the recipe in hand. I
felt a surge of adrenaline having completed a looming task (cleaning out
the disorganized cabinet) while locating the coveted cookie recipe.

Knowing
that Scott would be delighted, I envisioned his reaction as I carefully
measured and mixed the dough. I ended up phoning his mom for technical
advice, wanting to make sure that I didn't deviate from her recipe. The
dough preparation was the easy part; the work of the candy cane cookie
lies with the rolling and shaping. After the first dozen were formed, I
was both bored and frustrated. Between the sticky dough and the fragile
shapes, the surprise was quickly becoming a chore!

After
nearly 90 minutes, all four dozen cookies were rolled and formed onto
the cookie sheets. After they were baked, I waited exactly 60 seconds
before removing the delicate cookies and gently coating them in powdered
sugar. Needless to say, this step is easier said than done. The cookies
were still hot and extremely fragile. I broke more than I care to
admit, but thankfully the evidence was quickly disposed of (courtesy of
Robby and his friend Rowan.)

Finally, the
laborious cookie enterprise was complete. I was excited to surprise
Scott with his favorite nostalgic treat. I arranged several cookies on a
Christmas plate and triumphantly delivered them waiting anxiously for
his reaction.

"Oh, nice" was his response.
Nice? Those blasted cookies took hours to create and they certainly
warranted more than a "nice." Undeterred, I insisted that he try one.
After all, perhaps he didn't know that they were his mom's recipe.
Surely one bite would bring him to his Epicurean knees.

After
taking a bite, he smiled and said, "They are pretty good, thanks."
Annoyed, I informed him that they were made from his mom's recipe which I
had followed precisely. "I know. They taste pretty good." He then put
the cookie on the plate and continued watching TV. So much for the
over-the-top reaction I anticipated.

It's
difficult when so much work and effort yields an unappreciated reaction.
I'm trying not to take it personally, and I know full well that Scott's
reactions to surprises are often tempered. Regardless, I am hereby
retiring my elf baking hat for the season. After all, I now have a
container full of "nice" candy cane cookies which should be more than
adequate for the remainder of the season.